Leo simmons



No. 628,679. Patented l'uly Il, |899.

y L SIMMONS. MARINE. MEBRY-GU-ROUND.

(Application led Jan. 26, 1899.)

2 sheets-sheet l.

(No Model.)

nu. 528,679. y Patented my n, |899.

L. smnons.

MARINE HEBRY-G0-BOUND.

(Applicntion filed Ian. 26, 1899.)

(N0 HWSL) 2 Sheets-Shui 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO SIMMONS, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MARINE MERRY-,Go-RouND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,679, dated July 11,1899,

Application filed January 26,'1899.

T0 a/ZZ whom, t r11/ty con/cern:

Be it known that I, LEO SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vashington,- in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Marine Merry-Go-Rounds; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit ap pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a marine merry-goround.

It is the main object of my invention to providean apparatus foraffording amusement and pleasure wherein a number of boats are caused totravel over an artificial body of water in a circular path by meansoperated from a central source of power.

A further object of the invention relates to the arrangement andoperation of the power mechanism for moving the boats, whereby saidmechanism will be entirely hid from view and the boats have theappearance of being moved by motive power carried by each boat or byother means not readily discovered, thus serving to perplex as well asam use those using the device.

Afurther object of the invention relates to improved means for producingan artilicial agitation, commotion, or undulation of the water, wherebythe boats will be rocked or wave-tossed more or less severely in amanner similar to the action of a natural body of rough water, thisunexpected action of the water serving,further,to amuse and entertainthe occupants.

A further object of the invention is to provideacontinuous multiformreflecting device in the center of the body of water, operating, as willbe understood, to` confusev the occupants of the boats as to the numberof Vboats on the water and as to the distance across the body of water.

Still further objects of the invention relate to certain detailsofconstruction and operation of parts which will more clearly hereinafterappear.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan. vieu1 ofthe same.

Fig. 2.

Serial No. 703,467. (No model.)

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of parts of the devices for operativelyconnecting the boats to the propelling means. Fig. 5 is a sectional Viewon the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

y Like numerals of reference indicate corre-v sponding parts throughoutthe several vie ws. The numeral l indicates a tank, which is preferablyof circular form and is Iseated in and surrounded by a wooden, cement,or other framing 2, affording at one side of the tank a foundation 3 forthe bottoml of the tank to rest upon. Throughout the greater portion ofthe extent of the tank the upper edgelor rim thereof is preferablycurved or rounded over the adjacent inner edge of the framing, as shownat 4, and at the extremity of the curved portion is provided an integralvertically-extendingwall 5, forming an annular guard or dashboard. Atthat side or part of shall enter the boats the wall 5 is cut away for ashort distance and the rim portion 4 is flattened, as shown at 6, andextends at right angles to said iiattened portion, as shown at 7,whereby to provide an annular seat, the

the tank where it is designed that persons framing 2 beingcorrespondingly shaped at this point.

The numeral 8 indicates what I will term a gang-plank and whichcomprises a relatively thick platform having secured at its inner end,to extend at right angles thereto, a flange l0, said platform and flangebeing braced by one or more brace-bars, as shown at l1. The gang-plank Sis of a width to fit snugly in the cut-away portion of the rim, as

.shown in Fig. 2, and at the angle formed by the iiange 10 and platformS it is pivotally secured in any suitable manner to the straight edgeofsaid rim, as indicated at l2 in said In' the position of thegang-plank shown in Fig. l, in which it is turned back or out ofoperative position, the flange lO provides a continuation of thedashboard 5. When turned into operative position, as shown in dottedlines in said ligure, the flange 10 rests against the flat side G of therim of the tank, and thus operates as a support to hold the platform ina horizontal position above the water, so that persons may walk out uponthe same and enter the boats as they are successively moved to thegang-plank.

The numerals 1S indicate the boats.

Six

IOO

or more boats are intended to be used with the device,as represented inthe drawings,and y `edge of the tank is another space, forming apassage-way, and through the said Way is exfy tended a shaft `16, havingat its inner end a bevel-gear 17, and at its opposite end beingconnected with suitable driving mechanism for turning it, the drivingmechanism-not be ing shown. Extending upward through the center of thetank is a shaft 18, secured to which within the tank is a hub 19. On thelower end of the shaft 1S is secured a rela` tively largehorizontallydisposed bevel-gear 20, which is in mesh with the bevel'gear17. A stuffing-box 21 on the bottom of the tank surrounds the shaft 18and prevents leakage of water at this point, as will be understood.Secured at their inner ends in the hub19 and at equal distances aroundits periphery are 1 six or more arms 22, which extend outward ldisposed.

.from said hub in the manner of the spokes of aj Wheel, except that theyare horizontally The outer end ot` each arm 22 is seated in asocket-block 23, and in opposite sides of each socket-block are securedthe ends of connecting-rods 24, which extend between each pair of arms22, and thus firmly connect and brace thearms. Secured on each arm 22,at a suitable distance from the outer end, is a second socket-block 25,and a sec ond series of connecting-rods 26 have their ends securedinthese socket-blocks to further brace the arms 22. To prevent the arms22 from sagging, a brace-rod 27 extends be- .neath each of said arms, towhich it is connected at one end, as shown, its opposite end beingsecured in the hub 19. It will be seen that the series ofconnecting-rods 24 and 26 are connected in such manner as to form aframework of polygonal shape. Secured near opposite ends of eachcounecting-rod and on each side of a socket-block 23 is a clamping-nut28. Secured on each arm 22, near the outer end thereof, is aclamping-nut 20, formed integral with the upper member of which andrising verticallyT therefrom is an upright 30, having avertically-disposed slot 31; Extending upward from each clampingnut28vis a brace-rod 32, which brace-rods at their outer ends are connectedto the upright 30 on opposite sides and near the top thereof, On eacharm 22, at'a point where the socketblock 25 is secured, is a clampingmut33, from which rises an upright 34, having a slot 35, these parts beingshown in Fig. 5, and on each connectingrod 26 are clamping-n uts 36,from which brace-rods 37 extend and are connected to the upright 34. Itwill thus be seen that by this construction llprovide near the outer endof each radial. arm 22 two vertical. paral v2 essere lel uprights havingcoinciding or registering slots. Slidabl ysecu red within the respectiveslots of each pair of uprights 30 34 are opposite ends of a rod 38, towhich are secured two arms 39,having at their upper ends hooks 40,engaging in eyelets4l, secured on the bottom of each boat. The rod 32 isheld from lateral movement in the slots by means of two stops 42,secured on said rod and bearing against the inner sides of therespective uprights 30 34 the sides of said stop adjacent` totheuprights being rounded, as shown, to permit the rod 38 to assumepositions other than horizontal, and thus not interfere with the rockingmot-ion of the boats. l

The peculiar connection of the boats just described willallow them tohave a free movement both vertically and radially and will entirelyobviate shocks and jars incident to starting and stopping the boats.

I have shown two propellers 43 44 respectively located on opposite sidesof the tank and inclined upward toward the path of the boats or in amanner to propel currents or rolling waves of Water against the bottomof each boat as it reaches the vicinity of either propeller, saidcurrents or waves of water being projected in a direction, with that ofthe boat, thus reducing the initial force of pr 0 pulsion. By thisarrangement the force of the current created by the propellers willcreate a rolling wave, thus lifting'either the forward or rearwardportion or end of the boats as they run forward, giving them a naturaland even rocking motion, it being understood that the propellers aredriven with sufcient force to agitato the Whole body ofl water in thetank. The roughest portions, however, would of course be in the vicinityof the respective propellers.

The operation will be readily understood. The parts being assembled asdescribed, the shaft 16 :is revolved by any source of power, and throughthe medium of bevel-gears17 and 20 and shaft 18 the hub 19 is therebyrevolved, carrying around with it the arms 22, havingthe boats 13connected thereto in the manner described. In the initial operation aseach boat is brought opposite gang-plank 8 the motion is stopped untilthe desired number of persons have entered the boat, when the apparatusis again started and the next iboat brought opposite the gang-plan k.After all the boats have been filled the gang-plank iis turned back tothe position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. If so desired, a like gangplank may be placed in Various places around the tank, thus providingmeans for loading and unloading quickly. The shaft 16 is again revolvedand the speed gradually increased untilthe boats are caused to travel atthe desired rate through the water. The propellers 43 44 are at the sametime or subsequently set in motion to agitate the water.

In order to confuse those in the boats as to the true size of the bodyofwater and as to IOO IIO

the number of boats thereon, I provide in the center of the tank amultiform reliecting device, (indicated by the numeral 45.) Y Thisdevice comprises a frame 46, suitably secured to the shaft 18 and hub 19to turn therewith and supporting a structure of polygonal shape abovethe body 'of water, on the faces of which are secured a number ofmirrors 47, which project below the surface of the water, as shown.

Any desired ornamental style of top may be employed for the structure.The mirror 47 will operate by reflection to produce the resultindicated, as will be clearly understood without further description.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim isl. A marinemerry-go-round comprising a tank containing water, a hub centrally andrevolubly mounted in said tank, a series of radial arms carried bythehub, a boat loosely connected to each of said arms, means for revolvingsaid hub, and an upwardly-inclined propeller or propellers submerged inthe body of water and having the blades thereof directed in the path ofthe boats so as to project cnrrents ofwater against the bottom of eachboat as it passes in the vicinity of the propellers so as to impart arocking motion to the boats.

2. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing a body of water,a hub centrally and revolubly mounted in vsaid tank, a series of radialarms carried by said hub, boats connected respectively to the outer endof each of said arms, a multiform reflecting device supported on saidhub, the reflectingfaces of which extend from a point below thewater-level to a suitable distance above the wafer-level so that thebody of water will be reflected in the reiiecting device for the purposespecilied, and means for revolving said hub.

3. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing water, a hubcentrally and revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of radial armscarried by said hub, a pair of uprights carried by each arm and havingregistering slots, a rod having its `opposite ends slidably mounted insaid slots, arms secured to and extending upward from said rod, a boatconnected to the outer ends of said arms, and means for revolving saidhub, substantially as described.

4. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing water, a hubcentrally and revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of radial armscarried by said hub, a pair of uprights carried by each arm and havingregistering slots, a rod having opposite ends slidably mounted insaid-slots, stops on saidA rod having rounded surfaces bearingrespectively on opposite inner sides'of said uprights, arms securedtoand extending upward from said rod, a boat connected to the outer endsof said arms, and means for revolving said hub, substantially asdescribed.

5. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing water, a hubcentrally and revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of radial armscarried bysaid hub, a series of pairs of spaced connecting-rods unitingsaid arms, clamping-n u ts on said connecting-rods, a pair of uprightssecured on each of said arms and having slotsinalinement,bracebars'connecting opposite sides of said uprights and saidclamping-nuts,a rod having opposite ends slidably mounted in saidslots,arms secured to and extending upward from said rod and havingouter hooked ends, a boat having on its bottom eyelets engaging saidhooked ends,.and means for revolving said hub, substantially asdescribed.

(i. In an apparatus of the class described,the combination with atankhaving a surrounding flange provided with a cut-away portion, and a rimaffording a flat side, of a gang-plank pivotally secured in saidcut-away portion and having at said pivoted end a liange extending atright angles thereto and designed in the operative position ofthegang-plank to rest against said iiat side of the rim and thereby supportthe gang-plank in a horizontal position and when folded back outofoperative position the said fiange forming a continuation of thesurrounding liange of the tank, substantially as described.

7. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing water,a revoluble hub mounted centrally in said tank, a series of radial arms carriedby said hub, a plurality of boats arranged within the tank, a lpair ofarms loosely connected at their upper ends to the bottom of each boat sothat the boats will have a free movement thereon independent of themovement of the arms, and said arms being slidably connected at theirlower ends to the said radial arms, and means for revolving said hub.

8. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing a body of water,a revoluble frame submerged within the body of water, a plurality ofboats arranged within the tank and adapted to travel over said body ofwater, arms loosely connected at their upper ends to the bottom of eachboat so that the latter will have a free movement independent of themovement of the arms, and said arms having a slidable connection attheir lower ends with the said frame,'and means for revolving the latterto propel the boats.

9. A marine merry-go-round comprising a tank containing a body of water,a plurality of boats arranged to travel in a circular path over the saidbody of water, means for propelling said boats, and upwardly-directedrotary propellers, submerged within the body of water in the tank, theblades of said propellers being arranged to project currents of wateragainst the bottom of each boat during its ,passage in the vicinity ofthe said propellers, to impart a rocking motion to said boats. v

lO. A marine merry-go-round comprising a IOO IIO

4, i eee-57e tank containing n bodyof Water, amullziloi'm lo travel overthe body of Water, and means reflecting devieetsupported in the centerof foi1 propelling the boats. 1o the tank and having theleffleetingfaces In testiniiony whereof I zillix my signature thereofextending' from e point below the we- .in presei'lee of two witnesses.

terlevel to a suitable distance above the wa- Y LEO SIMMONS. teilevel sothat the bodyo'f Water will he re- 'Vl/imessesz fieeted in thereflecting device for the pur- VICTOR ANDERSON,

posespeeiecl, :L plurality of boats mleuged WVILFRED' HEARN.

